Turning up the political heat for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium, Gov. Mark Dayton met privately Monday with two key members of the Minneapolis City Council who are needed to back the project.
"There are a couple that are considering carefully their positions," Dayton said. "We didn't get any final commitments, but we didn't ask for any final commitments.
"I don't know that either of them have taken a firm position," the governor said.
Dayton said he met with Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, City Council President Barb Johnson and City Council members Kevin Reich and Sandy Colvin Roy. Reich and Colvin Roy as seen as critical votes on the 13-person City Council.
Though no formal City Council vote has been taken, it is believed that a majority of the City Council does not currently support the stadium proposal.
The governor said he was unsure whether the City Council, before endorsing the project, needed the Legislature to first authorize the $975 million Vikings stadium in downtown Minneapolis. But he acknowledged that City Council support was – at least politically – vital at the state Capitol as lobbyists push lawmakers to support the project.
"I think what the Legislature is looking for is a letter that's clear that at least a majority of the members of the Minneapolis City Council support the project," he said.
